Chargers make change at top
Schottenheimer is fired as coach because of his poor relationship with the general manager. USC's Carroll is a possible candidate.
By Sam Farmer, Times Staff Writer
February 13, 2007

Only weeks after assuring Marty Schottenheimer his job was safe, the Chargers fired him Monday, citing his "dysfunctional" relationship with A.J. Smith, the team's general manager.

"The situation had become untenable," Chargers owner Dean Spanos said in a conference call Monday night. "They couldn't get along. It had reached a point where it was irreparable, and we decided to move on."

Schottenheimer, who had a year remaining on his contract, was informed of the decision a few hours earlier. It came less than a month after his team fell apart in a divisional playoff loss to New England that ruined San Diego's NFL-best 14-2 season.

After that, Schottenheimer's top two assistants became head coaches, with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron taking over in Miami, and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips replacing Bill Parcells in Dallas.

It's unlikely the Chargers would choose to fire their coach this late without a replacement in mind. A possible candidate is USC's Pete Carroll, who interviewed with the Dolphins in January and whose name has come up in connection with other NFL vacancies.

Should he decide to leave the Trojans — Carroll has consistently said he is staying — the timing would tantalize conspiracy theorists. Last week, USC landed another stellar recruiting class after rumors of Carroll's imminent departure had cooled. Also, assistant head coach Steve Sarkisian, who backed out of an expected offer to become coach of the Oakland Raiders, is positioned to succeed Carroll at USC, or perhaps join him as offensive coordinator in San Diego.

Not everything points to Carroll's leaving college football for the Chargers. He reportedly wants personnel control of a franchise; Smith has that with the Chargers.

Carroll could not be reached for comment.

Asked about the USC coach on Monday, Spanos said neither he nor Smith had spoken to Carroll.

Said Smith: "I do have a list of names, considerations. I'm going to run them by Dean Spanos, we'll decide who we're going to contact, and then we'll find out if they're interested. If they're interested, we'll proceed setting up an interview process."

Smith said there was no timetable to make a hire but he didn't "see it taking more than a couple weeks."

Schottenheimer and Smith had been at odds since 2005, apparently over personnel decisions by the general manager.

"At the very beginning when I was hired in 2003 … we worked together and everything was fine," Smith said. "After that, let me just say it started to go in a different direction. I don't want to get into specifics.

"We both wanted to win a world championship very badly. That's obvious. It's just that my approach may have been a little bit different than his, and I think Dean tired of this constant dialogue."

Schottenheimer told ESPN.com that he didn't know how his relationship with Smith deteriorated to the point that it did.

"Every time I tried to get an explanation of why there was such a bad reaction, he always had the same rebuttal … he didn't want to talk about it," Schottenheimer told the website.

Spanos said Monday's decision "is something that's been progressing throughout the month and something that I've been thinking about for the last several days. It's sort of been a negative work in progress, if you will, and a very difficult situation."

The move underscores the pressure coaches are under to not only win during the regular season but in the playoffs. Schottenheimer is 5-13 in the postseason, and his teams have been one and done six consecutive times, two of those coming with the Chargers.

Last stand
click to enlargeLast month, three days after the 24-21 loss to the Patriots, Spanos announced Schottenheimer would be around for at least the final season of his contract.

"You saw the game — you can't blame that on the coach," Spanos said at the time. "That is baloney."

Schottenheimer, who is due to receive a $3-million buyout for his final season, had declined the team's offer last month of a $4.5-million, one-year extension through 2008, with a club-option buyout of $1 million.

jspchief

02-13-2007, 07:53 AM

Pete Carroll is a "possible" candidate for a lot of jobs. I'm sure many teams would like to have him.

I don't get how these guys can make random speculations and pass it off as news.

RedNeckRaider

02-13-2007, 07:56 AM

When he rejected the year add on I'm guessing the Chargers went hunting. If they got no interest Marty would have returned. There is noway they fire him after losing the main staff already unless they had a backup plan. IMO

nomad

02-13-2007, 07:59 AM

It would be a the premier situation for Carroll, if he was happy with just coaching.

That roster is loaded, and Smith is solid as a GM when it comes to putting talent on the field.

Plus the quality of life in SD is pretty sweet year round.

Wouldn't be suprised one bit if Carroll was offerred and takes it.

Pushead2

02-13-2007, 08:05 AM

Didn't Carroll want complete control? If A.J. Smith is there that will not happen , I don't see Riverra taking it , Are they going to switch to a 3 -4 , 4-3 hybrid like Tomlin ?? I think it would be too much of a problem SD has good young backup LBs... Alot of people are saying Donnie Edwards is interested in coming back to KC. Anyone hear that officially?

Reerun_KC

02-13-2007, 08:06 AM

Carroll might take it, But it would be hard to leave a place where you are second only to God and go back to the Not For Long league...

IF it was me, I would stay at USC and enjoy being the King.

Kraut

02-13-2007, 08:07 AM

When he rejected the year add on I'm guessing the Chargers went hunting. If they got no interest Marty would have returned. There is noway they fire him after losing the main staff already unless they had a backup plan. IMO
Good point ...

Messier

02-13-2007, 08:10 AM

After seeing college Coach after college coach fail in the NFL why would Carroll want to leave a cushy job like USC?

Kraut

02-13-2007, 08:12 AM

After seeing college Coach after college coach fail in the NFL why would Carroll want to leave a cushy job like USC?
He did OK with the Pats. I think based on that he might take the SD job.

RedNeckRaider

02-13-2007, 08:15 AM

After seeing college Coach after college coach fail in the NFL why would Carroll want to leave a cushy job like USC?
Because 99% of the time when you get a NFL head coach job the team sucks. The Chargers are loaded in talent and fairly young. They should be a playoff contender for several more years.

Mile High Mania

02-13-2007, 08:18 AM

I'm not too sure that I care to see Martz running that team... they're young and loaded. They just need a couple of upgrades at WR and BAM! Martzism running amuck in the AFCW. Martz would definitely know how to really take advantage of Rivers, LT and Gates... just need two solid WRs.

RedNeckRaider

02-13-2007, 08:21 AM

I'm not too sure that I care to see Martz running that team... they're young and loaded. They just need a couple of upgrades at WR and BAM! Martzism running amuck in the AFCW. Martz would definitely know how to really take advantage of Rivers, LT and Gates... just need two solid WRs.
If that happens and Oakland cuts Moss or Porter :hmmm:

morphius

02-13-2007, 08:25 AM

Carroll might take it, But it would be hard to leave a place where you are second only to God and go back to the Not For Long league...

IF it was me, I would stay at USC and enjoy being the King.
That is my thought as well. Why would he leave USC? He has already had a tough time in the NFL, why do that again unless you feel you have something to prove.

Mile High Mania

02-13-2007, 08:27 AM

If that happens and Oakland cuts Moss or Porter :hmmm:

Yeah, that would suck just a wee bit.

RedNeckRaider

02-13-2007, 08:31 AM

That is my thought as well. Why would he leave USC? He has already had a tough time in the NFL, why do that again unless you feel you have something to prove.
A team with that much talent would be hard to turn down. I think every coach at every level dreams of winning the Superbowl. He has already reached the top where he is at and has a chance to take over a ready made contender :hmmm: If it doesn't workout he just does a Saban and jumps back into another great program.

Reerun_KC

02-13-2007, 08:32 AM

That is my thought as well. Why would he leave USC? He has already had a tough time in the NFL, why do that again unless you feel you have something to prove.

Coaching at USC has to be a better job than 90% of NFL jobs.. You alway on National TV, You wont loose but one maybe 2 games a year, Players want to play and most likely wont quit trying... You will play for a BCS game every year and a shot at the NC almost every year.

Why leave all of that just to go back to the NFL? It would have to be ego... USC is paying alot of cash for Carroll now...

Kraut

02-13-2007, 08:33 AM

I think he will take it. Like I said he did OK with the Pats, not good but OK, and he will want to build on that. Like it was mentioned he will have the talent to get it done in SD. So I think he will take the bait.

Mecca

02-13-2007, 09:15 AM

Of course Pete makes just as much money at USC as any NFL team would pay him, gets top recruits competes for NC's every year....

Oh yea and he has something no NFL coach has..job security, we'd never fire Pete. This talk may come up every year but I don't see him leaving anytime soon.

SCTrojan

02-13-2007, 09:33 AM

Pete Carroll is a "possible" candidate for a lot of jobs. I'm sure many teams would like to have him.

I don't get how these guys can make random speculations and pass it off as news.

Completely agree. Any time a job opening comes up, he is immediately connected to it.

I don't know if Pete will take this job - of course I hope he doesn't.

He has seemed fairly sincere about his intent to stay with the program in the short term. My take is that if this job had opened up in the immediate aftermath of the Rose Bowl, he might have taken it. But right after he has told a group of recruits that he would still be the coach? I would hope he wouldn't do that.

ck_IN

02-13-2007, 09:35 AM

Perhaps my memory is faulty but weren't the Pats really bad under Carroll? I'm too lazy to look up the records but I seem to remember BB inheriting a mess up there.

Personally I'd welcome Pete to SD. I don't think his style would work with pro players like it does with college kids.

As for Martz, I'd welcome him too. His first year or two might be amazing statwise but given time Martz will find a way to outsmart himself. LT's rushing would become an afterthought under Martz.

Rivera is the one that would scare me but I don't know if he's a 3-4 guy. If he is then he has the tools to make SD really scary.

htismaqe

02-13-2007, 09:35 AM

Of course Pete makes just as much money at USC as any NFL team would pay him, gets top recruits competes for NC's every year....

Oh yea and he has something no NFL coach has..job security, we'd never fire Pete. This talk may come up every year but I don't see him leaving anytime soon.

That's pretty much why Kirk Ferentz has never gone anywhere. He's already getting NFL money and people in Iowa City worship the ground he walks on.

Brock

02-13-2007, 09:43 AM

Perhaps my memory is faulty but weren't the Pats really bad under Carroll?